As the semester goes on, my free time dwindles a lot. As a result I have barely any time to sit down and leisurely read books. Especially near exam time. When I do manage to get some reading time scheduled in, I don't want to lolly-gag. I need a book to grab my interest right away and not let go. It needs to flow right along so I can get lost in it's world for while. Lately a few books that I have been picking up have failed to do this within the first 20 pages or so. Normally, I would have no problem reading further to see if it picks up, but when I am so busy and short on time I just get discouraged and put the book down.

Then I picked up The Gaia Wars...

What a good choice! I loved it! Warren is so inquisitive and smart. A little wise beyond his 13 years but that's never a bad thing. He loves nature and he has a crush on a girl scout! I was a girl scout for 12 years, so that made me smile. Ok fine, so mentioning how cool girl scouts are was not the only reason I loved The Gaia Wars. It is just such a versatile read. There is something in it for everyone. Teens, adults, boys, and girls will all enjoy The Gaia Wars. There is action and adventure, mystery, and magic. What on earth is not to love? Which leads me to the next point, I love how much the story incorporates the earth.

Our environment is something that I think we often forget about, and I really liked how spiritual the earth is depicted in the book. Kenneth did such a great job describing everything. The imagery was so vivid. When Warren and Sean found the cave, I could picture the whole thing so easily. And I really want to see a picture of the medallion!

I loved the character of Mirra. I couldn't read the book fast enough to figure out the mystery that surrounded her. I think there is so much more to her than is revealed in the first book, and I would love for her to have her own prequel story! I think finding out how she met and fell in love would be such a nice story. ::winkwinkKenneth!::

The only think I didn't like was that the book left off at such a pivotal point! Luckily, I have the second book to pick up ASAP! Im in the middle of it right now and I am really liking it. It is even more action packed than the first one. Must get back to reading The Battle of Cascadia, I mean studying, now.